Jun 4th - the penultimate day
At the Bellavista Cloudforest Reserve
4th June - Bellavista Cloudforest Reserve, Calacali overlook, and Casa Jardin Turi Quindi
Our last full day. We first drove to the Bellavista Cloudforest Reserve which like the other locations was only an hour or so's drive from Mindo. This was similar to the other sites we had visited in that there was a centre building with feeders placed around and various trails to walk. Bellavista itself was not as active bird-wise as some of the others, particularly when we got there, mainly because it was quite windy, but there were some hummers to photograph and a few other good birds put in an appearance. We spent some time around the centre building and also walked one of the trails and also did a fair amount of birding along the road as we headed back down hill. Notable birds that we saw in the area were Roadside Hawk and White-rumped Hawk, a good selection of hummers, among which Collared Inca and Gorgeted Sunangel were new. Other new birds were Masked Trogon and Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, the latter only having been heard previously [on 2nd], then Pearled Treerunner, and Montane Woodcreeper, the magnificently coloured Turquoise Jay, a Great Thrush, Black-crested Warbler, Russet-crowned Warbler, Blue-capped Tanager, a small group of Grass-green Tanagers, which didn't want to show very well like the other tanagers, although I managed a record shot, and Metallic Green Tanager.
Heading back towards Mindo, we stopped off at a viewpoint near a place called Calacali, where there was a sloping hillside with possibilities of more new birds. According to my notes, all we saw here were American Kestrel, Variable Hawk [new bird], an excellent find of an Aplomado Falcon, albeit rather distant but obligingly perched up, and also an Ochre-bellied Flycatcher.
I have no notes of what we did after this - for example where we had lunch. We had checked out of Septimo Paraiso lodge, although I've a feeling we may have left our baggage there whilst we went up to Bellavista, and collected it later so maybe we had lunch at the lodge. No doubt this will become clear in the 'official' report! By late afternoon however, we had moved on to Casa Jardin Tur Quindi, which is Juan Carlos' lovely residence just outside Quito. Reversing the bus into his drive was a pretty delicate operation - millimetres to spare!!! After unloading we bade a sad farewell with a huge vote of thank to our excellent driver [whose name I can't remember sadly]. Here Juan Carlos and his family have their own house and accommodation in separate buildings, in quite extensive grounds. Once shown our rooms we had time to have a quick look around the gardens, and were rewarded with views of two Golden Grosbeaks, a Sparkling Violetear, a female Andean Emerald, a Black-tailed Trainbearer [a female I think, without the very long tail], a few Blue-and-White Swallows, and a Fawn-breasted Tanager. In the evening we were treated to a very nice meal courtesy of Juan Carlos and his family. Expressions of thanks were given to Juan Carlos and his family for their hospitality and to Juan Carlos himself for his excellent leadership, and to Andy of course for his continued leadership and companionship in this part of the trip. I think Katherine had to leave promptly for her flight back to Canada, but some of us were not flying until later on the 5th, and Katherine & Alec and Boo & Greg were continuing their holiday independently. In view of the lateness of our flights on 5th, it was decided that we had time if we had an early start, to visit the high Andes on the 5th, in an area called Antisana, which is at 11,500ft in the shadow of Volcan Antisana.
Our last full day. We first drove to the Bellavista Cloudforest Reserve which like the other locations was only an hour or so's drive from Mindo. This was similar to the other sites we had visited in that there was a centre building with feeders placed around and various trails to walk. Bellavista itself was not as active bird-wise as some of the others, particularly when we got there, mainly because it was quite windy, but there were some hummers to photograph and a few other good birds put in an appearance. We spent some time around the centre building and also walked one of the trails and also did a fair amount of birding along the road as we headed back down hill. Notable birds that we saw in the area were Roadside Hawk and White-rumped Hawk, a good selection of hummers, among which Collared Inca and Gorgeted Sunangel were new. Other new birds were Masked Trogon and Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, the latter only having been heard previously [on 2nd], then Pearled Treerunner, and Montane Woodcreeper, the magnificently coloured Turquoise Jay, a Great Thrush, Black-crested Warbler, Russet-crowned Warbler, Blue-capped Tanager, a small group of Grass-green Tanagers, which didn't want to show very well like the other tanagers, although I managed a record shot, and Metallic Green Tanager.
Heading back towards Mindo, we stopped off at a viewpoint near a place called Calacali, where there was a sloping hillside with possibilities of more new birds. According to my notes, all we saw here were American Kestrel, Variable Hawk [new bird], an excellent find of an Aplomado Falcon, albeit rather distant but obligingly perched up, and also an Ochre-bellied Flycatcher.
I have no notes of what we did after this - for example where we had lunch. We had checked out of Septimo Paraiso lodge, although I've a feeling we may have left our baggage there whilst we went up to Bellavista, and collected it later so maybe we had lunch at the lodge. No doubt this will become clear in the 'official' report! By late afternoon however, we had moved on to Casa Jardin Tur Quindi, which is Juan Carlos' lovely residence just outside Quito. Reversing the bus into his drive was a pretty delicate operation - millimetres to spare!!! After unloading we bade a sad farewell with a huge vote of thank to our excellent driver [whose name I can't remember sadly]. Here Juan Carlos and his family have their own house and accommodation in separate buildings, in quite extensive grounds. Once shown our rooms we had time to have a quick look around the gardens, and were rewarded with views of two Golden Grosbeaks, a Sparkling Violetear, a female Andean Emerald, a Black-tailed Trainbearer [a female I think, without the very long tail], a few Blue-and-White Swallows, and a Fawn-breasted Tanager. In the evening we were treated to a very nice meal courtesy of Juan Carlos and his family. Expressions of thanks were given to Juan Carlos and his family for their hospitality and to Juan Carlos himself for his excellent leadership, and to Andy of course for his continued leadership and companionship in this part of the trip. I think Katherine had to leave promptly for her flight back to Canada, but some of us were not flying until later on the 5th, and Katherine & Alec and Boo & Greg were continuing their holiday independently. In view of the lateness of our flights on 5th, it was decided that we had time if we had an early start, to visit the high Andes on the 5th, in an area called Antisana, which is at 11,500ft in the shadow of Volcan Antisana.